The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and in particular to using computers to import and reconcile resources from disjoint name spaces.
One issue inhibiting the integration of applications is the lack of a common naming scheme and namespace to identify resources dealt with by those applications. This is especially problematic in the common case where the applications are dealing with overlapping sets of resources. Configuration management databases (CMDBs) attempt to support the integration of applications by providing an integrated view of resources dealt with by those applications and the relationships among the resources.
A configuration management database provides a repository of information related to all the components (including applications) of an information technology environment. A CMDB can be used to represent a configuration of the components of the IT environment. A CMDB helps an organization understand the relationships between these components and track their configuration. CMDB implementations often involve federation, the inclusion of data into the CMDB from other sources, such as Asset Management, in such a way that the source of the data retains control of the data. For CMDBs to achieve their maximum value, they should be able to quickly and efficiently integrate and reconcile resource information, including identity, from multiple applications, even when the multiple applications lack a common naming schema.
CMDBs such as those addressing reconciliation of resources within a well-defined namespace often require manual data cleansing and harmonization of namespaces prior to integration into the CMDB. A characteristic of such CMDBs is that a name schema and namespace is defined as a data model common to the implementation (i.e., a Common Data Model). With this characteristic, data cleansing or harmonization is often required prior to integration.